Any tips please on how to stick back an interior mirror onto the windscreen? I purchased one of the kits with mesh and glue followed the instructions to the word, but it fell off!
- posted
17 years ago
Any tips please on how to stick back an interior mirror onto the windscreen? I purchased one of the kits with mesh and glue followed the instructions to the word, but it fell off!
I (barely) hesitate to suggest you didn't follow the instructions, then. The glass has to be *scrupulously* clean - use some isopropyl alcohol or similar, and rub with some clean kitchen towel until not a trace remains.
I inherited a car which had had the mirror knocked off once already, and was replaced off-centre so that it got in the way of the sun-visor. After I managed to knock it off myself with a plank of wood (accidentally), I bought a little kit from Halfords and replaced it in the proper place - it was still there 6 years later despite being adjusted at least twice a week. I think I used a Loctite product.
One useful tip is that the mirror is often not one piece - there may be a small mounting plate and a tiny grub screw that secures the actual mirror and stem. It's a lot easier to stick the plate on by itself and let the glue fully cure before re-attaching the heavy bit. Otherwise, you're trying to hold an awkward thing absolutely stationary while the glue sets sufficiently to let go.
"Chris Lewis" wrote in news:4Errh.5687$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe1-win.ntli.net:
Whatever you do, don't use superglue as it will crack the windscreen. Your best bet are the little sticky pads that are used, though I'm not sure where you can buy them from. I have seen them once in one of those magazines that gets pushed through your letterbox. Maybe a motor factor will sell them. After my above cracked windscreen was replaced, the "window guy" gave me several pads to use in the future. Our mirror gets adjusted several times each day (different drivers) and it has never fallen off.
Thanks for the replies.
I believe I have found out on why the mirror kit did not work in the first place! I checked the products info on their web-site and it states
Not Suitable For The Use On Following Cars: Seat Ford Mazda 121
The car is a Ford Fiesta, the instructions did not mention this no did the salesman at the motor factors! So just a warning if anyone is trying to stick back their interior mirror, do not use the mesh and glue kit. I will try one of the adhesive pads instead, hopefully with better luck!
I used a sticky pad on my ford fiesta (Mk3) a few years ago and it worked perfectly. Clean the mating surfaces thoroughly with meths or something first and dry them properly, then heat them both up with a hairdryer or something.
HTH
Tony
The biggest problem is holding it whilst the adhesive sets, there's a simple tool for the job but I have yet to see one for sale in this country:
The other thing is it's cold at the moment, maybe a hot water bottle on the outside of the windscreen would help it set better.
Forget them. Get the double sided adhesive pads designed for EXTERIOR mirrors. Clean the inside of the glass where the mirror is to stick with citrus wipes or vinegar on some tissue paper/kitchen towel and dry.
You'll find it'll stick as you've removed the thin film of greasy s**te that covers the inside of most windscreens.
[...]
When I returned to the motor factors (same car, same problem) they told me to avoid fixing it back in the same position, ie. on the black square marked in the windscreen glass. I then fixed it back again just below the black square and it's stayed there ever since, for years now. This was using adhesive pads only btw.
If you used Loctite 319, you should have had no problems - the biggest pain for me was getting it onto the glass fast enough before it set.
Did you clean the glass and the mirror mount with a decent solvent (meths at least)?
Cheers
Tim
Yes I used meths to clean the screen. But like I said previously the kit that I used was not suitable for a Fiesta (found that out later) probably because on the fiesta there is a rubber pad on both the windscreen and mirror?
thanks Chris
Rubber pads? I suspect that won't do any good with Loctite 319 - mine was metal to glass bond (I scraped all the old crap of the mirror metal foot with a razor blade).
Guess sticky pads would be a better bet for you.
Good luck
Tim
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